1 Chronicles 22
Open in the reader1Then Beloved said, “Here shall be the house of He-Who-Is God, as well as the altar of burnt offering for Strives-with-God.”
2So Beloved gave orders to gather the foreigners in the land of Strives-with-God, from whom he appointed stonecutters to prepare finished stones for building the house of God.
3Beloved provided a large quantity of iron to make the nails for the doors of the gateways and for the fittings, together with more bronze than could be weighed
4and more cedar logs than could be counted; for the Fishery-Ones and Rock-dweller had brought a large quantity of cedar logs to Beloved.
5And Beloved said, “My son Peace is young and inexperienced, and the house to be built for He-Who-Is must be exceedingly magnificent—famous and glorious throughout all lands. Therefore I must make preparations for it.” So Beloved made lavish preparations before his death.
6Then Beloved called for his son Peace and instructed him to build a house for He-Who-Is, the God of Strives-with-God.
7“My son,” said Beloved to Peace, “it was in my heart to build a house for the Name of He-Who-Is my God,
8but this word of He-Who-Is came to me: ‘You have shed much blood and waged great wars. You are not to build a house for My Name because you have shed so much blood on the ground before Me.
9But a son will be born to you who will be a man of rest. I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side; for his name will be Peace, and I will grant to Strives-with-God peace and quiet during his reign.
10He is the one who will build a house for My Name. He will be My son, and I will be his Father. And I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Strives-with-God forever.’
11Now, my son, may He-Who-Is be with you, and may you succeed in building the house of He-Who-Is your God, as He said you would.
12Above all, may He-Who-Is give you insight and understanding when He puts you in command over Strives-with-God, so that you may keep the Teaching of He-Who-Is your God.
13Then you will succeed, if you carefully follow the statutes and ordinances that He-Who-Is commanded Drawn-Out for Strives-with-God. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged.
14Now behold, I have taken great pains to provide for the house of He-Who-Is—100,000 talents of gold, 1,000,000 talents of silver, and bronze and iron too great to be weighed. I have also provided timber and stone, and you may add to them.
15You also have many workers: stonecutters, masons, carpenters, and men skilled in every kind of work—
16in gold and silver, bronze and iron—craftsmen beyond number. Now begin the work, and may He-Who-Is be with you.”
17Then Beloved ordered all the leaders of Strives-with-God to help his son Peace:
18“Is not He-Who-Is your God with you, and has He not granted you rest on every side? For He has given the inhabitants of the land into my hand, and the land has been subdued before He-Who-Is and His people.
19Now set your heart and soul to seek He-Who-Is your God. Begin building the sanctuary of He-Who-Is God, so that you may bring the Chest of the covenant of He-Who-Is and the devoted articles of God into the temple that will be built for the Name of He-Who-Is.”